Postgraduate Course: Critical Creative Diversity (Online) (EFIE11434)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh Futures Institute |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | How can creative organisations address inequality? In Critical Creative Diversity we will explore the potential, and the limits, of equality, diversity, and inclusion to challenge and change the cultural and creative world. |
| Course description |
There is now a rich and detailed literature on the nature of inequalities in the cultural and creative industries. Whether at global, regional, or national level, it is clear that the production and consumption of culture is highly exclusive. At the same time, research on equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in cultural and creative industries, particularly on 'what works' to promote and support EDI, is still in an emerging or early phase. This research base can be contrasted with the extensive attempts by organisations, policymakers, and businesses to address and combat inequalities. Critical Creative Diversity is situated in this space, between the academic understanding of inequality, the emerging understanding of approaches to effective equality, diversity, and inclusion, and the need to be critical of current sector and organisational practice.
The course syllabus is based on a teaching block of 5 weeks, divided into weekly four-hour sessions. The first part is based on students acquiring knowledge of current inequalities in cultural and creative industries, supported by the course leader and teaching assistant, along with their classmates, including lectures and group work to further engage with and unpack the initial readings and themes. Part 2, will allow students to think about the current practice of equality, diversity, and inclusion, both in the context of case studies, masterclass guest lectures, and the construction of policy reports and organisational EDI plans. The final phase focuses on a critical investigation as to what works to support an effective EDI policy for a case study sector or organisation within the cultural and creative industries. This final phase of the course produces the assessment submission.
Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) - Online Hybrid Course Delivery Information:
The Edinburgh Futures Institute will teach this course in a way that enables online and on-campus students to study together. To enable this, the course will use technologies to record and live-stream student and staff participation during their teaching and learning activities. Students should note that their interactions may be recorded and live-streamed. There will, however, be options to control whether or not your video and audio are enabled.
You will need access to a personal computing device for this course. Most activities will take place in a web browser, unless otherwise stated. We recommend using a device with a screen, physical keyboard, and internet access.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 14,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 6,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
The course will be assessed by means of the following components:
1) Organisation of Sector Specific Report (4000 Words) (100%)
The main assessment, to be submitted 2-3 weeks after the end of the activities on the course, will be an organisational or sector specific (e.g. theatre or publishing) report on how to encourage and support diversity. It will be 4000 words. |
| Feedback |
Feedback on any formative assessment may be provided in various formats, for example, to include written, oral, video, face-to-face, whole class, or individual. The Course Organiser will decide which format is most appropriate in relation to the nature of the assessment.
Feedback on both formative and summative in-course assessed work will be provided in time to be of use in subsequent assessments within the course.
Feedback on the summative assessment will be provided in written form via Learn, the University of Edinburgh's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
Formative Feedback Opportunity:
Formative feedback is ongoing feedback which monitors learning and is intended to improve performance in the same course, in future courses, and also beyond study.
This course offers you the opportunity to participate in a formative feedback exercise or event which will help you prepare for your summative assessment. The formative assessment will be a 500 word outline of the choice of sector or organisation and an outline of the report.
Feedback on the summative assessment will be provided in written form via Learn, the University of Edinburgh's Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
There are four modes of feedback on the course. There will be a whole cohort feedback session for the end of the course, last seminar; written feedback on the formative assessment (the outline) will be returned within 10 days and will be followed by an optional online 'open house' to address any additional comments or questions, leaving time to incorporate this into the summative assessment and leaving time to contact the Course Organiser for clarifications. Written feedback (in-text and general comments) will be given on the summative assessment. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate critical understanding of the extent and causes of inequalities in the cultural and creative industries.
- Demonstrate critical understanding of current best practice on equality, diversity, and inclusion in the cultural and creative industries.
- Critically apply that understanding in the context of workplace and creative sector settings.
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Reading List
Essential Reading:
Brook, O., O'Brien, D., and Taylor, M. (2020) Culture is bad for you Manchester: Manchester University Press
Recommended Reading:
APPG Creative Diversity (in press, 2021) What works to support creative diversity?
Further Reading:
Barbican Stories (2021) available from https://issuu.com/barbicanstories/docs/barbican_stories_digital_pdf_june_2021
Banks, P. (2019) Diversity and Philanthropy at African American Museums: Black Renaissance London: Routledge
Bull, A. (2019) Class, Control, and Classical Music Oxford: OUP
Christin, A. (2020) Metrics at Work: Journalism and the Contested Meaning of Algorithms Princeton: Princeton University Press
Chong, P. (2020) Inside the Critics' Circle: Book Reviewing in Uncertain Times Princeton: Princeton University Press
De Beukelaer, C. and Spence, K-M. (2019) Global Cultural Economy London: Routledge
Devine, K. (2019) Decomposed: The Political Ecology of Music MIT Press
Lena, J (2019) Entitled Princeton University Press
Patel, K. (2020) The Politics of Expertise in Cultural Labour: Arts, Work and Inequalities London: Rowman and Littlefield
Ramdarshan Bold, M. (2019) Inclusive Young Adult Fiction: Authors of Colour in the United Kingdom London: Palgrave
Rivera, Lauren. 2015. Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Saha, A. (2018) Race and the cultural industries Cambridge: Polity Press
Wreyford, N. (2018) Gender Inequality in Screenwriting Work London: Palgrave
Yuen, Nancy Wang. 2016. Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism. New Brunswick, NJ: Rugers University Press |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Cultural and Creative Industries,Equality,Diversity,Inclusion,Inequality,Cultural Industries |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Elysia Lechelt
Tel:
Email: elechelt@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr David Murphy
Tel:
Email: dmurphy7@ed.ac.uk |
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